Q

"do not leave me...stay so close.
hold my hand and do not let go
wait for me, give me a chance....
stay with me,forever in wonderland"

Thy Will be done...

The days of joys and sorrows, Quite ironical the day is, one of those rare blue moon days, whereby you feel like writing like a young bird taking it’s second flight.(But there is no laptop).
Life , in August third week has been like a river surrendering itself to the abyss of the mountains . I nearly lost my 2 year old laptop to a modern proverb-“Electronic gadgets have no guarantee”. The electro schizophrenic attack struck my laptop on Monday morning as it struggled to reboot, reminding me of SRK’s overacting in “my name is Khan”. Day 2 was followed an encounter with the Mamu’s on the high way. Damn!! I forgot to keep my insurance papers, had been quite complacent off late. Surprisingly, I was very excited when I was stopped by the cops, although I knew that I’m gonna be screwed, but enjoyed the process of encountering the cops for the first time and bribing them. But a bribe of 500 bucks was too much for the illusion of happiness and adventure to sustain. The feeling of being pissed off was getting under my skin now.
Dead cockroaches and the stinking ambience of my room added to this feeling until the moment of truth which Shakespeare would have defined as “When thou land on thy arse, the only way thee would looketh is upwards”
And that is pge-2 of the story as well, ended up doing the following
1. Watched the 51st date
2. Completed my second Knowledge paper in finance.(which was brutally rejected :D)
3. Leg pulled the chicks in the office
4. Laughed like a kookaburra
5. Jackshitted on Facebook
And there you go, I could feel myself up and running once again. May this feeling continues-Amen

Back to the Future..

Time, indeed seems to fly by!! That's what my feeling has been for the last week.
I’m in lucknow for a week vacation. Difficult to imagine, that it’s been seven long , yet short years living outside house...... Phew!! a deep breath could best explain the emotion, the highs and lows. I feel like a gladiator, surviving the tests of time, taking a moment’s break before the next challenge. The feeling inside , as always ,is un-explainable, the seeker inside keeps looking for signs and omens, trying to interpret, small events happening in a random way, yet governed the laws of the universe. The seeker inside tries to decipher , what the universe is trying to convey to me.
I carry a mixed bag of thoughts…. insecurity, dreams, happiness,nightmares,ambitiousness,hatred,love,hope and above all the fear of the unknown…. are all part of this pool.
My heart sinks and skips a beat, I’m ready to face whatever the future has in store for me, as the following words of Morpheous echo through the corridors of my mind:

“ I’m here not because of the path that lies before me…..I’m here because of the path that lies behind me”- Morpheous-Matrix-2

Traveling to bangalore tomorrow…”BACK TO THE FUTURE”…..

Calculation of Exchange Rate

There are various factors that determine an exchange rate. Trade value, inflation, and interest rates, to name a few. These are basic principles to help understand the concept.
Let's work in a closed vacuum and assume there is no inflation between two countries or any other factors and examine fluctuations based on wealth and trade.
We begin with country A, which lets call the USA and country B which we call Britain. Lets imagine that 1 UD Dollar = 1 British Pound.

Now let's say that the Americans own $100 and the British own 100 Pounds. If America buys $5 worth of product from Britain, America would have $95 and Britain would have 105 Pounds. Suddenly Britain becomes wealthier. In theory Britain is approximately 10% wealthier now. (100/95x105=10.52%) So suddenly $1 would be worth around 1 Pound and 10 Pence.

This is the principle of trade surpluses and trade deficits and wealth within a currency.
Now let's imagine that America and Britain each have $100 again. Let's say that over 1 year, prices in America stayed the same but in Britain, prices went up 5%. We would now have an effect where Britain is 5% poorer then America and $1 would be now worth 1 Pound and 5 Pence. This is where interest rates are determined. Britain could have helped keep $1 worth 1 Pound by having an Interest rate of 5%.
Interest rates are determined normally by a Reserve Bank governor that determines economic policy for a currency. Interest rates can also be manipulated to stimulate an economy by strengthening or weakening a currency.
Now we can also consider what would happen if Britain deicide to print twice as much money as it had before. If America and Britain each has $100 and 100 Pounds each respectively, and Britain decided to print 200 Pounds in an attempt to get wealthier, suddenly $1 would equal 50 pence. However if Britain had found 100 Pounds of gold and was worth 200 Pounds, then $1 would still equal 1 Pound.
Very basically, this is how the system works, however is much more complex in reality.
I hope this gives a basic understanding of the principles.
Cecil Pickard-Brown
cecp@advidata.com


Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_the_currency_exchange_rate_is_calculated#ixzz1OSBEJHXv

Mantra for life

Love-family
Trust-friends
Hope-self
Mercy-God
Kindness-All

"Sweat,Blood,heart and soul"-Rocky

Marriage (short story taken from facebook)

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outsidethe door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Thinking like a Marketing student……helps you understand the choices you make.

It so happened , I decided to buy a bike. One of my childhood dreams of biking through the highway, exploring places. After much thought process I had finally decided to buy a bike and live my dream.
But the big question was “Which bike” shall I go for?
Seeing the rising prices I concluded that a 125cc bike would meet most of my needs. The Bike that topped the charts was Honda Shine, which unfortunately had min 1 month waiting period, so I had to switch to indigenous options. The two obvious choices were Bajaj Discover 150cc and Hero Honda Glamour 125cc.
Ironically both lay in the same price range i.e. 60k, I was more inclined to buy discover (perception) as I was getting more power at the same price.
But fortunately there was a hero Honda showroom near by and we managed to have a look at the 125cc Hero Honda Glamour. The differences were as follows:
Hero Honda Glamour:
125cc
Digital Odometer
2yrs warranty+3yrs extended warranty at INR 1500 total 5 yrs warranty
6 services free.
State of the art servicing

Bajaj Discover
150cc
Analogue Odometer
2 yrs warranty only -No extended warranty
3 services free
Local Garage type servicing.

Bajaj 150cc is the cheapest bike in 150cc segment. Even in its brochure it compares itself to 125cc Honda Shine and 100cc Hero Honda Splendor.

The DTS-i engine technology of Bajaj, reminded of a case study, which talked about “Tide” giving some hi-tech fundu name to it’s washing powder formula, to make it’s place in the market.
I asked myself, am I the kind of a customer who is looking for a “sasta ,sundar aur tikau” product or am I the kind who would prioritize the quality of the product over anything else.
What struck me most about Hero Honda that they are giving 5 years warranty on all of their bikes, which shows they are confident about the quality of the product they are making. This was one of the main reasons for me choosing 125cc glamour over 150cc Discover. Even though both are coming at almost equal prices.
But being a marketing student it was wonderful to have experienced, the marketing strategies implemented by these companies in real life.

The Extra Mile

The race seems to have ended, when he touched the finish line…
No one around, besides or behind…...as he decides to walk the extra mile…
Hoping to see her, on the horizon, running to him from nowhere…
Fooling yourself is a temptation, like the Cadbury’s éclair…
He clings to hope and fights against it, to keep the flame alive….
In spite of all odds....... he walks “the extra mile”

Hang on……for another second!!(email fwd going around on net :) )

One day I decided to quit…..I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality…I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have a final word with god.
“God” I said.” Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me…
“Look around “, He said… Do you see the fern and the bamboo?
“Yes” I replied.
When I planted the firm and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. It’s brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing grew from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
“In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again there was nothing from the bamboo seed. “I would not quit” He said.
Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it stronger and gave it what it needed to survive, “I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle”
He said to me-“Did you know, my child, that all these time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”
“I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.”Don’t compare yourself to others” The bamboo had a different purpose than that of the fern , Yet they both make the forest beautiful.
Your time will come “God said to me” You will rise high!” How high should I rise?” I asked.
“How high will the bamboo rise?” he asked in return.
“As high as it can be?” I questioned.
“Yes” He said-“ give me glory by rising as high as you can”

I hope these words can help you see that god will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you happiness
Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life.
A happy and meaningful life requires continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because of our choices and actions, and each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act, and in doing so we create our own unique journey”
Keep going…